Watercolor Dirtbag
I did my first randomized palette! Here was my method: This generated: Let’s take a look at a color wheel! Individual Pairs Triad Thoughts This is nearly a CMY modern primary trio, except that the place of a cool yellow is taken by warm, earthy, buttery Naples Yellow Deep. As a result, the oranges and … Read more
It’s been awhile since my last palette check in! I think my last one was July 2024. Here’s my current 18-color main palette. I call this my “back to basics” palette because it is almost all absolute winners that have stood the test of time, been thoroughly playtested against others in their slot and come … Read more
Every watercolor instructor seems to have a bug up their butt about something, and for Matthew White it’s the unified shape. The idea here seems to be that your composition will be stronger if there is one large shape, that is, if the midtone passages in the painting are physically connected, leading your eye through … Read more
I’ve painted the radio tower that can be seen from Danehy Park many times. The first was among my first-ever paintings in March 2021; the second, almost 2 years later in December 2022, after a particularly inspiring real-life sunset; and the third, just over a year after that, a much more subdued version which I … Read more
“Only do what is easy and fun.” I don’t remember where I got this motto; somebody said it in a forum or something, and it really resonated with me. I’ve taken it and run with it as my art mantra. I love it because it is counterintuitive to everything I was taught in my Puritan-work-ethic, … Read more
I painted two paintings this month from my own photos. Both of them were same-day skyscapes that I took with the idea of painting them. Pink Sky Power Lines What I like about the photo: Complex power lines, pink cloud, crescent moon. What I didn’t like about the photo: It didn’t really capture the overall … Read more
Brooke Morales of Life Noticed does an annual project called 365 Skies where she observes and paints the sky every single day. She paints from life, from the window, so she also calls these “windowscapes.” The sky is a great daily subject because it’s always there and it’s always different! I considered joining this year … Read more
Okay, so I didn’t do much painting in Arizona: it was mostly a whirlwind of family activities. I spent much of the time in surburban locales; when I had the opportunity to go out hiking, I was mostly birding and photographing as my secondary activity, not painting, which would have slowed the group down too … Read more
I will also do an annual retrospective, but here’s my month of December! The month was dominated by my Advent Calendar challenge. Advent Calendar Most of the month’s paintings were done specifically to showcase one of my DIY $0 Advent Calendar “gifts”. Some days I did swatches or non-paintings, but for these I had the … Read more
This was a stressful year with lots of moves, losses, disappointments, regrets, and complications. Though I didn’t expect to, I’m glad to be ending the year in the same general geographical locale where I began it, and I’m hoping to have a simpler 2025.
Art was a lifeline for me this year, providing a calm meditative activity and a point of focus other than the stresses of life. The first thing I did when going to any new home was to set up an art area.